The Tampa Bay Rays are trying to defy history and come back from a 3-0 deficit in the World Series against the Milwaukee Brewers. They have their work cut out for them as no MLB team has ever come back from a deficit like that in MLB history, so Tampa’s fans must have at least one eye trained on the offseason which will almost certainly see some players currently on the World Series roster depart and join other teams.

The Rays are a team that does not like to spend a lot of money on free agents and they avoid overpaying for players whose value will probably not be worth a pricey free agent contract. That’s why these five players seem almost certain to depart after the World Series no matter what the result is.

Rays can say goodbye to these 5 free agents after this season

Freddy Peralta

Tampa Bay decided to be uncharacteristically aggressive at the trade deadline and swung a blockbuster deal with the New York Mets for right-handed ace Freddy Peralta. The front office knew this team was special and given how weak the American League was this season, president of baseball operations Erik Neander made a wise risk to go out and get one of the best starting pitchers available.

While Peralta really struggled with the Mets to the tune of a 4.99 ERA, the change of scenery did wonders for him as he posted a 3.25 ERA in 10 regular season starts with the Rays. He also pitched well in the playoffs, but the sad fact is that he’s just going to be too expensive for the Rays. Expect one of the big-market teams to sign him.

Nick Martinez

Another starting pitcher who is likely to be gone is Nick Martinez. The Rays opted to have him start Game 1 of the World Series and he had a really great season. He had a 15-6 record and a 3.10 ERA in 31 starts. He made his first All-Star Game and ironically may have pitched his way out of Tampa Bay’s price range for next season. He has a $20 million mutual option for next season but he may decide to opt out of his deal and test free agency thinking he could potentially earn more on the market.

If he does, the Rays seem highly unlikely to outbid another team so odds are he will not be coming back after the World Series.

Gavin Lux

Acquired by Tampa Bay Rays ahead of the 2026 season, Gavin Lux hasn’t played for months due to an injury. He only played in the minors for the Rays this season and hit a forgettable .223/.387/.298 with one homer and 12 runs batted in across 28 Triple-A games.

He is clearly on the decline and there is no reason for the Rays to bring him back unless it is on a minor league deal where he’d have to earn his way back to the big leagues. He was once a promising young player for the Los Angeles Dodgers but that feels like ages ago now.

Jorge Mateo

The Rays scooped up shortstop Jorge Mateo after he was let go by the Atlanta Braves midseason. He was not productive at all with the Rays, hitting a disappointing .141/.181/.205 with one homer and seven runs driven in across 32 games. Like Lux, it would only make sense to bring him back on a minor league deal but Mateo will likely ty to test the market and see if he can get a deal with a club that will give him a chance to make the big-league club.

Austin Slater

Outfielder Austin Slater bounced around from team to team in 2026. He was once a mainstay with the San Francisco Giants as a platoon bat who killed lefties, but he just has not been able to stick with any club in recent seasons. He didn’t do terribly for the Rays, hitting .273/.360/.364 in 25 plate appearances, but he didn’t make enough of an impression for Tampa to be highly incentivized to bring him back so expect him to try to join yet another team in the offseason.

The Rays make logical, practical decisions in free agency so if a player does not provide much value or if their market value is not in accordance with the actual value they are likely to produce on the field then they are going to stay far away from them. One might think they’d be more aggressive after a World Series appearance, but they got to the World Series by being disciplined so expect them to continue with that approach.